


Touching Skin (And Souls)

by Lumelle



Series: Garden in the Mountain [5]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Anal Sex, Cunnilingus, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Nipple Piercings, Oral Sex, Orgasmic syncope, Penis In Vagina Sex, Smut, Tattoos, Vaginal Fingering, Wedding Night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-14
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-05-01 13:20:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5207336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumelle/pseuds/Lumelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are many nights a couple may share, but (usually) only one wedding night they get to have. Therefore, it's a good idea to make good use of it.</p><p>Or, how the heirs of Durin's line each enjoyed their respective wedding nights.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Eagerness

**Author's Note:**

> **Please note** that this fic contains graphic sex of various kinds. It's really just a PWP with a poor excuse. Please read accordingly.
> 
> I do eventually plan to include at least all the three royal wedding nights that are/will be referenced in [Growing Dwarves (And Kingdoms)](archiveofourown.org/works/3163292) (Thorin/Bilbo, Fíli/Ori, and Kíli/Tauriel). Kiliel get to go first because, well, this is what wanted to come out first (I blame Kíli for being overly eager). It's not like there's a narrative that would be broken by the lack of chronological order.

Kíli had only barely made it through the door to his rooms and closed it behind Tauriel as he drew her into a deep, heated kiss.

It was a good thing she seemed to be much in agreement with him at this turn of events. After all, even when he reached up as high as he could get on his toes there was no way he could have caught her in the kiss if she hadn't leaned down to meet him in turn, her hands carding through his hair in a welcome caress. He threw his own arms around her waist, drawing her close, and let himself get lost for a moment in the heat and sweetness of her mouth as the kiss drew on and on.

He drew away for a breath at last, settling his forehead against hers as he grinned up at her. "Amrâlimê," he murmured, his lips very nearly brushing against hers again. "My Tauriel, my beautiful wife."

"My beloved husband." She smiled at him, and this, this was more precious than all the treasures in the mountain combined, this smile of hers and the way her eyes crinkled just so at the corners. "I'm all yours."

"At last." He dove in for another kiss, one that was only a brief meeting of lips before he trailed his mouth away to the line of her jaw, the long lines of her neck, the collarbone that was just slightly bared by her lovely dress. Tauriel sighed in approval as Kíli mouthed at her skin, wishing to taste more of her, all of her.

She made a disappointed sound as he drew away from her, one that turned into a gasp of surprise as he dropped down to his knees instead reaching for the hem of her dress. He drew it up little by little, trying to savour the moment as much as his eagerness would allow him to, while listening to her for any sounds of complaint. There were none, even as he let his hands slide up her legs, little by little, drawing the skirts up with them.

Her legs were bare underneath the lengths of silk skirts, and he let his hands run along them slowly, agonising to both of them if her little sigh was anything to go by. As he got the skirt high enough, he gave in to his impish instinct and dove under it, ignoring her surprised squeal as he traced after his hands with his mouth, now.

This was new territory, here. He had seen her naked before, but not this close, and anyway this was nothing to do with sight, not with the silk of her dress falling over him as he moved closer. He let his mouth trace a path up her leg, then her thigh, tasting the smooth skin and nuzzling it here and there, drawing in her heady scent as he approached his prize. Tauriel leaned back just a little, against the wall or so he suspected, which he took as a good sign as to his permission for being here. Clearly she was bracing herself for the experience rather than wishing for him to be gone.

He found his goal soon enough, tracing his mouth closer and closer to her intimate areas. He was rather delighted to find she hadn't worn any undergarments aside from the simple shift under her more elaborate gown, leaving her quite bare to his explorations as he pushed the layers of fabric away, hands and mouth approaching the same prize at once as he prepared for the exploration ahead. This was what he had wanted for so long, what he had dreamed of in his bed late at night with only his hand for a company as he closed his eyes and imagined what she would be like under his hands, under his mouth, under him.

The reality was different, in that it was infinitely better. Not even in his most imaginative moments had he been able to guess at the heavy scent that surrounded him when he moved closer, still slowly so he wouldn't rush things, the first brush of his fingertips against the little curls that covered her. He nuzzled along the same path, drawing his nose along the curls and drawing in another deep breath before his fingers found the parting point of her folds. He grinned in triumph at his discovery, dipping his finger just slightly between them, drawing it along the warm line and listening to the sounds she made, surprise and want all rolled into one. He paused, here, just for a moment, and at the breathy, "Go on," decided he had all the invitation he needed for now. Remembering all the slightly rude jokes and stories he'd spied on over the years, as well as the rather more concrete talks he'd been subjected to by various friends and family members as the wedding day drew nearer, he ran his finger up until he found the small nub that was Tauriel's pearl. Touching it in experiment, he was satisfied to hear her gasp in a very approving tone.

Of course, then he had to get close enough for a taste, running the tip of his tongue over her pearl in turn, and the gasp that followed was rather more high-pitched.

"Kíli," he heard her breathe, the sound only slightly muffled by the thin silk of her dress, but she didn't sound like she was complaining, not at all. Emboldened by this, he let his hands settle on her thighs for a moment as he gave her another small lick, then another. He teased the small nub with his tongue, tracing its shape from the small crown down to where the root of it connected to her body. Then, because she had not stopped her yet, he drew his tongue further down between her folds, as low as he could get without risking getting her out of balance by nudging one of her legs too far out of the way.

"Tauriel," he murmured, unsure if she would hear him but quite certain she felt his breath against her, judging by the shiver he could feel running through her. She was growing wet, he noted, slick gathering between her folds. From what he had heard this was a good sign in a lass he wanted to please, and oh, did he ever want to please her.

He returned his attentions to her pearl, as that seemed to be getting the best results. Something settled on his head, and he realised she had rested her hand on him over the skirts, which was quite fine with him. If he got this right, she would need something to steady herself, whether it be her hands on his head or the solid stone wall behind her.

He was perhaps inexperienced, but nothing if not eager to learn. He applied himself to his newfound task with all the enthusiasm she usually inspired in him, tasting and licking and teasing. When he wrapped his lips around her pearl and sucked, just for a brief moment, she made a wordless sound that had to be good because that was definitely no moan of pain. Rather, just the mere sound of that made blood rush low in his belly.

He was aroused as well, of course he was, had already been half hard by the time they reached their now shared rooms and was only growing more so by the second. His cock was growing heavy and hard in his trousers, pressing against the fabric of his breeches with a painful insistence, wanting that which was so tantalisingly close yet not quite within reach. He bravely ignored such selfish demands and focused on Tauriel, eager to show her just how much he wanted and loved her. There would be time to address his own little problem later, he decided. They had all night to themselves, after all, would have so very many more.

He slid one hand along her thigh, slipping his fingertip between her folds again and noting to his delight that she was only growing wetter. Sliding it up and joining another finger he spread her folds apart just enough to apply the entire broad of his tongue on her, delighting in the squirming this inspired in her, her thighs vibrating ever so slightly around him.

Her taste was interesting, he decided, sweet with the slightest hint of metal to it, the feeling of her intimate areas velvety soft under his fingers and tongue. He trailed some of her slick from further down up to her pearl, wetting it thoroughly while rubbing it with as much pressure as he dared, then going right back in with his mouth. Her pearl was perking up, almost like his own aching cock, and he had to resist the urge to reach his other hand down to press against himself through his trousers.

Kíli wrapped his lips around her again and sucked, just a little, only for that to draw out a rather loud gasp of his name as her thighs suddenly went completely rigid. He could feel the rest of her body thrumming, though, as though some deep pulse was running through her, and a part of him almost expected to hear a sound as though he'd just plucked a string on a fiddle.

He waited for her to relax again, running his hand along to the back of her thigh, before going in for another taste. This time the sound she made seemed almost displeased, though, and she almost seemed to flinch away from him. This was clearly not a good sign, so he finally decided to emerge from her skirts, though he kept one hand running along her leg, a slow caress up and down. "Did I do something wrong?" He frowned up at Tauriel. She looked a bit dazed, if he was to describe her in a word, which he would have imagined was a good thing but then she hadn't sounded like she was pleased.

"Oh, Kíli," Tauriel replied, and her voice was shaking slightly, her head leaning back against the wall. "I would say you did something very right indeed."

"You didn't sound like it." He paused his hand at her ankle. His hand could easily go around it, such a dainty thing on such a tall creature, but then his hands were rather big compared with those of an elf. "You have to tell me if I do something wrong, my love. I don't exactly have a lot of experience to draw on, here."

"Well, clearly you know enough to get started, then." She slid down against the wall, until she was seated in front of his kneeling form. Underneath his hand he could have almost imagined her leg trembling slightly. "It was good, Kíli, I promise you. I'm just feeling a bit sensitive right now, that's all."

"Oh? And why's that?"

Tauriel laughed, not her usual, bell-clear laugh but a breathless, low sound that sent a shiver down Kíli's spine and right down to his groin. "Because, my dear dwarf, you just tempted me to my peak and right over the edge, and much though I enjoyed the experience even I need a moment to recover."

"So… is that what it was?" He returned to caressing her leg, up and down, enjoying the feeling of her smooth skin under his calloused hands. "I did wonder why you went so rigid and pulsing at the same time."

"Indeed." Her lips tugged into a little mischievous smile. "It's not as obvious for us as it is for the lads, or so I've gathered from all those stories that are definitely not fit for a proper lady to hear, but I promise you, I found your attention very pleasing indeed."

"Well, that's good to hear." Kíli grinned. "Was almost wondering if all those stories I heard were just a whole lot of hogwash."

"Well! Those are interesting stories, for sure. I can't quite believe you would just — just dive in like that!"

"Oh, I've been thinking about it a lot." Unable to resist, he brought up his other hand, still slightly damp from teasing her, and made a show of licking his fingers clean as he locked his eyes with hers. A lovely blush bloomed on her cheeks, but she didn't seem displeased at all.

"You, my husband, are a tease." She nudged him with one foot, though not quite hard enough to convey any true annoyance.

"I've had plenty of time to think about this." He smirked, now. "And I do think we ought to get you out of that lovely dress, or we'll have trouble getting it clean again after everything I have in mind."

"Is that so?" She gave him a raised eyebrow. "And if I told you I'm of a mind to retire straight to bed for rest after a long day, now?"

Kíli was quite sure his face fell for a moment, but he quickly schooled it back into a neutral expression. His mother had damn well raised him better than to hold expectations on that which ought to be freely given. "Then I will bid you goodnight and wish you sweet dreams, my treasure. Though I do hope you'll forgive me if I don't join you right away, seeing as I have some matters that rather need seeing to, first." He was not quite so crude as to gesture to the bulge in his trousers. He rather hoped she was aware of what he was referring to, anyway.

"Oh, my sweet, honourable dwarf." She sighed, somehow sounding exasperated and regretful at once. "I only meant to tease you, my love. I would not retire so early, certainly not after that little display of yours, unless it was you who requested rest instead. I promise you, I have been looking forward to tonight as much as you have, if not more."

Kíli tried not to look too relieved, though he probably failed. "Not to call you a liar, my dearest wife, but I'm not sure it's possible for anyone to await it more eagerly than I."

"Ah, but I beg to differ." Tauriel's lips curled into a little smirk, now, definitely teasing. "After all, we have only been wed in the dwarven manner so far. Why, I don't think my people would consider us married at all until we have properly shared a bed and exchanged our vows of devotion there!"

"Well, I would hate to disappoint your people any more than I already have, being as short and hairy as I am." He crawled closer and got one foot under himself, then scooped her up into his arms without much of a warning, laughing at her chuckled protest. "Oh, I've waited quite a while to do this!"

"I suppose you're a bit stronger than your form might lead one to believe, after all." She smiled, though, reaching one arm around his neck even as she trusted herself in his arms. "Very well, then, my prince. Carry me to your bedchamber, if that is your wish."

"Our bedchamber, Tauriel. It is yours as well, now, though I do know you elves can be strange about sleeping sometimes." He grinned at her, happy to draw an amused huff from her in response.

"We do not sleep strangely! We were the firstborn, mind you, clearly our way of sleep is the right one and the rest of you have only achieved an inferior imitation."

"Excuse me! We dwarves know all about sleep, mind you, we went back to sleep before you elves had even awoken! And in any case," he pressed a kiss to her cheek, since it was so tantalisingly close anyway, "if I do my job right we won't either of us be going to sleep any time soon."

"Is that so?" She traced a hand along the side of his face. "You know, I've heard many a fine boast about the virtues of dwarven stamina."

"Well, then, I do believe it falls on me to prove those right, as I certainly would not want anyone else to give you a demonstration on the matter." He gave her a rather filthy grin, but then, he supposed he was allowed to, at this point. "Me, I'm rather curious as to how true all those rumours about elven agility are."

"Wouldn't you like to find out?" Tauriel laughed as Kíli carried all the way to the bedroom and set her down on the bed. "I'm not entirely sure this is going to make getting my dress off any easier, you know."

"Oh, I know, I've just waited to be able to do that for far too long to resist." He grinned as she sat up again, reaching for the laces at the back of her dress. "Need some help with that?"

"I don't think I would protest, no." She turned away from him and drew her hair over her shoulders to the front, baring the laces to him. He was quite proud of himself for being able to work them open without damaging anything important on the dress, loosening the ties down to her waist and revealing the simple shift underneath.

"There you go." He stepped back, starting to work on his own belts and buckles. He did enjoy dressing up every now and then, it was nice to know that he looked good and everything, but a full formal outfit was not exactly easy to get out of in a hurry. In fact, Tauriel had squirmed her way out of her shoes and formal gown before he'd even gotten all his tunics off, and that absolutely had to be a bad sign.

"Should I help you in turn?" Tauriel had set her dress over the back of a chair, and oh, he would absolutely have to see her in that again, but he was also quite happy to see her in her simple shift. It curved up with her breasts only to fall down to veil the rest of her body, only hinting at the soft line of her hips and caressing the lines of her thighs almost all the way down to her knees, and by the time he had gotten this far he had almost forgotten there had been a question at all.

"You are so beautiful," he breathed, halted halfway through sliding his tunic down his arms. "Mahal, I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of just watching you."

"Well, I do believe we had plans for something more than just watching." Tauriel chuckled. "Now do you need help with that or not?" Then, before he could answer, she had already stepped closer to help him get off the rest of his clothes.

No, Kíli was not embarrassed when he was left bare in front of her, standing short and stout and hairy and all in all quite undeserving in front of her otherworldly beauty. His clothes were scattered on the floor, his circlet fallen somewhere when it'd gotten knocked out of his head in his attempts to disrobe as quickly as he could. Tauriel had also set aside her diadem, he noted, her head bare and hair flowing free aside from the marriage braids in her lovely silken locks.

His braids. Tauriel was wearing his braids, now and forever.

"Well, someone is eager to see me." Tauriel looked entirely too satisfied as her gaze slid down his body.

"Can you really blame me, here?" Why, yes, he was very hard indeed right now. "I'm finally wed to my One, who is the most beautiful creature I've ever laid eyes on, and we are alone at last. I'd have to be dead not to be eager."

"I can see that." She leaned in to press a kiss to his lips. "Now, help me with mine?"

Certainly she was more than capable of getting out of a simple shift, but far be it from him to tell her no. Particularly when she seemed quite happy to continue to kiss him as his hands racked up the hem, sliding along her thighs and over to her backside, lingering there for a joyful moment before continuing up her sides. It was then that she stepped away, only to allow him to draw the dress up over her arms and away, leaving her as bare to sight and touch as he was.

And Mahal, he had never seen a more beautiful sight. She was no dwarven lass, that much was obvious, not broad with full curves and a gleaming beard, but that only made her more enticing to him. Her long limbs were slim yet he knew well enough the strength hiding within, her breasts curving out in perfect proportion to her body, a few red strands falling in front of the pale skin. He let his eyes linger there for a moment, then continued down to the dip of her waist, the curve of her hips, the seemingly endless smooth legs. It was as though all his dreams had taken shape in one creature, the good dreams at that, the ones he rarely even shared with Fíli.

"You really take my breath away," he murmured, settling his hands at her waist to pull her closer for a kiss. Well, to pull her closer and hope she'd lean down enough for a kiss, which thankfully seemed to agree with her, so that worked out all right.

"Perhaps," Tauriel murmured against his lips, "we should take this to bed at last."

Kíli was certainly happy enough to follow, though he did steal another quick peck before letting her go. She turned and walked to the bed, a sight that he was quite eager to watch for a moment before going after her. As a result she was already lying on the bed as he got there, stretching the endless lines of her body and watching him with hooded eyes. He wet his lips in anticipation and crawled up to the bed himself.

For a moment he simply stared at her, the beautiful sight spread out before his eyes. Then he lunged forward, kissing her deeply before he started to run his mouth down over her jaw, her throat, to the collarbones and beyond. He lingered at one breast with his mouth, his hand teasing the other, listening to her sighs and gasps as his other hand traced along her sides and stomach. It was like he could not get enough of touching her, of tasting her, no matter how much he tried to do there was always more of her that he could be paying attention to and there would never be enough time in all of his life to worship her enough, this beautiful she-elf who seemed determined to drive him crazy simply by existing. He abandoned her breasts with some regret, then, only to trail even lower along her beautiful body.

He didn't go all the way down this time, bringing his mouth across her stomach and down to her navel before he started his way up again, running his hands down her sides and over her hips to her thighs, caressing the smooth skin there. Her legs were parted, now, allowing him to lie between them with ease, and he made use of the fact to nudge himself just a little closer to her. This time he brought his mouth to the other breast, teasing the nipple with rather stubborn focus, one of his hands travelling closer to her bush of curls now that she seemed reasonably distracted.

She was still wet, though that was not exactly a surprise, even if he did so say himself. He teased her for a little bit anyway, rubbing his finger lightly over her pearl to see how she would react before tracing it further down her folds. There he found what he was looking for, running his fingertip around her entrance a couple of times before he even tried to push in, slow and careful. The last thing he wanted was to go too fast and risk hurting her or something equally terrible.

Tauriel sighed, her legs falling even farther apart as she eased around him. He was still slow and careful, working his finger into her with the studied focus of a craftsman, paying more attention here than surely any goldsmith had ever done to his finest jewels as he now followed her every sigh and shiver. Her walls were warm and slick, easing away to allow his finger further yet still snug around it. He imagined how that lovely heat would feel around his cock, and this time it was he who shivered, the mere thought sending a new rush of blood down to his groin. He drew his mouth away from where he had been lavishing Tauriel's nipple with attention, letting his breath wash over the damp skin and delighting as this made her tremble.

"You do not need be so careful, my love," Tauriel murmured, one hand finding its way into Kíli's hair. "I promise I won't break so easily."

"I don't want to hurt you." He pressed a quick kiss on her skin, hoping to soothe her as he slowly moved his finger within her. "I'd never want to do that."

"And I promise to tell you if I feel the slightest bit uncomfortable." And then, because apparently Tauriel was absolutely not above foul play, she slipped a leg between his and pushed it up against his cock. Kíli hissed, and she smirked at him, the cruel she-elf. "Come on. I'm rather worried that if we wait much longer, you'll spend yourself before you even get inside me."

"Sure I will if you keep that up," Kíli replied, gritting his teeth. "I may not be a lad of fifty anymore, but I'm not actually made from stone, either."

"Are you sure? You certainly feel rather stiff to me." She had mercy on him, though, letting her leg fall down. He felt relieved and disappointed at once at the loss of touch. "Please, Kíli. I promise, I want you just as much as you want me."

Kíli ducked his head. "I'm not sure that's possible," he murmured against her skin. "It feels like I'm bursting at the seams with my desire for you."

"Then do something about it." She tugged at his hair again, then tried to draw him up along her body. He relented after a moment, very carefully drawing his fingers from her and coaxing a sigh out of Tauriel. He kissed her slowly and deeply, his hands running over whatever part of her he could reach, until he finally pulled back and looked her in the eye.

"Are you sure?"

"I am." Tauriel nodded. "Please, my love. I want to feel you, all of you, and I trust you. You could never hurt me."

Well, it wasn't like he'd ever had a great track record with resisting her requests. He slid down again with a couple of kisses to her collarbones, settling between her legs as she spread them even wider to easier accommodate him. He placed his hands on the bed either side of her, bracing himself as he found the right spot and slowly, still half afraid of doing something horribly wrong and hurting her, started to push into her.

It was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. No amount of spilling into his own hand could compare with the slick, tight heat of her body, the sight and feeling of her lying beneath her, her hair spilling all over his bed, their bed now. He watched her for any signs of discomfort, but if she felt any, she was careful not to show it. Not that he could blame her, really. If he had seen such a thing, he probably would have pulled right back out, and he doubted she would have liked that much after her demands. He still moved slowly, however agonising that was, pausing to catch his breath at one point only for her to circle her legs around him and nudge his back with her heels.

"So impatient," he murmured, burying himself into her the rest of the way in one smooth thrust. "Aren't you elves supposed to be all patient and timeless and unconcerned with the passing of time?"

"I may have had many nights in my life, but I only get one wedding night." She smiled at him, and he wanted to kiss her so badly, but could not quite reach her right now. "I love you so much, my silly dwarven prince."

"And I love you with all my heart, my Lady of the starlight." He started moving now, just little thrusts at first, barely shifting inside her. As she seemed to find this tolerable enough he grew bolder, still moving slow, just in case. He was aching with desire, and this was good, so good, but he was determined not to disappoint her, not in this. "My Tauriel, my One. I'll love you all the days of my life, and beyond them in the Halls of Ancestors."

"My Kíli," she murmured, her hands sinking into his hair, and he could have sworn there were tears in her eyes but she was smiling. "I love you, my brave, bright bonfire. My heart is yours for as long as I live, and longer still."

"That's all I could ever ask for." He pressed little kisses wherever he could reach, all over her stomach and breasts, peppering her skin with kisses and licks and little bites. She groaned, her eyes falling shut, and then her legs drew him even closer as she tightened around him.

Kíli hardly had time to even realise what was going on before all the tension and heat that had been coiling up low in the pit of his stomach was released all at once as he spilt insider her, cursing roughly in Khuzdul.

Even through the overwhelming haze of his pleasure a part of him managed to be embarrassed at such loss of control. Had he not told her he wasn't some lad of fifty? And here he went proving himself wrong, losing himself in the delight of being inside her before he could do much of anything for her benefit.

"I'm sorry," he murmured once his mind cleared up enough to string together something resembling a coherent sentence. His voice sounded muffled even to his own ears, though that might have been because his face was pressed against her chest.

"And whatever are you apologising for?"

"I… didn't mean to. Not yet." Mahal, was she going to make him explain this? "It's just — I want you so much, Tauriel, have wanted this so long, and…"

"Hush, my love." Her voice sounded amused more than anything, which he supposed was some kind of a relief, her hands combing through his hair as though to soothe. "I'm not upset with you."

"You're not?" That seemed strange. She'd been so insistent on having him inside her, and now he'd already ruined that.

"It's flattering, really. And you're right, you probably have been waiting for a while." Her voice took on a mischievous tone as she added, "So don't worry, I'm not upset… on two conditions."

"Oh?" He finally managed to look up at her, blinking at the fond smile on her face. "What are those?"

"First, I want you to teach me those words. I only caught one or two that I recognise, but from those I can infer it's probably not something Balin would ever teach me." Her hand came up to cup the side of his face. "And second, please tell me that wasn't the entirety of your plans for tonight."

Now, Kíli managed a laugh, gingerly slipping out of her so he could crawl higher up and kiss her properly. "Don't really have a plan as such, but don't worry, I'm not out of ideas by a long shot." He flashed her a smirk. "Besides, just give me a moment and I'll be good to go again. I may not be fifty anymore, but I'm certainly young enough not to have much trouble with recovery yet."

"That's good to hear, at least." She smiled and stole a kiss from him in turn. "We do have all night, after all."

"Aye, we do." Kíli was probably smiling a little goofily, but he couldn't really help it right now. "Tonight, and many more." And he certainly wasn't done yet, not even for tonight. There were so many things he wanted to try and do, so many ways he hoped to make her smile and gasp and sigh and cry out. Whatever they did tonight would not even scratch the surface of all his thoughts about sharing his bed with his lovely, beautiful wife.

It would be a damn good start, though.


	2. Gentleness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not the first time Fíli and Ori have shared a bed, traditions be damned. However, there is still plenty to discover, however familiar they may be with each other in this regard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Please note** that this chapter contains a character losing consciousness during sex.

The door had barely closed behind them as Fíli's hands found Ori's waist, drawing him close. Ori's arms settled around his shoulders as though on their own as they fell into an embrace, mouths seeking each other.

They had kissed before, sometimes, but mostly chaste pecks here and there, not often having the luxury of being uninterrupted or without audience. The couple of nights they had managed to share had only served to feed the fire that always seemed to be burning somewhere deep within Fíli, tempting him with the possibilities of more, more, more. And now here was Ori in his arms without any restrictions at last, his wedded husband and his One, and nothing was standing between them anymore, for what little there had been before.

Ori broke off the kiss with a sigh, resting his forehead against Fíli's shoulder for a moment. Fíli hummed a bit, enjoying the moment for all that a part of him was yearning to move further already.

"Fíli?" Ori's voice was quiet, a little breathless perhaps, and Fíli almost felt smug at the idea that he had caused that, he had done this to Ori.

"Yes?" He answered calmly enough, managing to keep his voice level. That was, at this moment, quite an achievement if he said so himself.

"I, uh." Ori looked up at him, a small flush on his face. "I think I need to go to the bathroom."

Fíli blinked, then chuckled. "Aye, that might be a wise idea." He stole one last peck before letting go. "Might do the same myself. It was good ale that we had at the feast, but even the best ale will stay only so long."

"Is this what Nori warned me about, that being in a relationship with someone won't always be so pretty?" Ori chuckled, trailing his fingers along Fíli's beard before stepping away. He moved in Fíli's rooms as though he already lived there and was not only now moving in, finding the bathroom easily enough. Some might have found this simply outrageous, if they were of a more easily scandalised type, but then Fíli knew perfectly well that Ori's previous visits had been in the presence of chaperons, if Kíli could be called such a thing.

It had been his own visits to Ori's rooms that were the scandalous ones, after all, but there was no need to mention that.

He took the bathroom after Ori, quickly relieving himself before he splashed some water from the wash basin on his face. There was a mild buzz at the back of his mind, from the ale and the feast and the dancing all, and from Ori, his Ori, finally his for good. It was a good feeling, but he was glad it was only so mild. This was something he wished to remember, and not lose to the clouds of ale.

When he stepped out Ori was not there, but Fíli did not need to guess much at where he might be found. Indeed, he found Ori in the bedroom, where he had already taken off his circlet and was currently stripping off the surcoat of his rich wedding clothes. As Fíli entered, though, Ori turned to smile at him, and Fíli had to pause for a moment at the sight.

"Fíli?" Ori blinked, looking confused as he didn't move. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing wrong, no." He couldn't help the bright grin that crept onto his face. "I was just wondering how exactly Mahal found it suitable to have my One be the most beautiful dwarf I have ever encountered."

Ori flushed slightly, his paler skin showing it most enticingly. "I'm hardly that, though. I could name quite a few dwarves who are much more beautiful than I am."

"Not to me." And that was all that mattered, wasn't it. Finally he made to walk closer, lifting his hand to run it through Ori's hair, free of all ornaments aside from his marriage beads. They glinted at him among Ori's hair, pale gold and dark sapphires with the seals of Durin and Fíli himself carved into them in fine hand. For all that Fíli had never doubted Thorin's hand at such fine work, he almost felt inadequate at the sight of such beautiful things. "You are the most beautiful thing I could imagine, because you are my One."

"Don't you have that a bit backwards, then?" Ori leaned his head towards Fíli's touch, though, so clearly he wasn't too upset. "If I'm going to be beautiful anyway, why would you wonder why your One is so beautiful?"

"Well, I just happen to be lucky enough that it's not just my eyes that find you beautiful." Fíli grinned. "Mahal knows I'm not the only one that's ever had an eye for you."

"I'm really not so special, though." Ori's flush deepened. "I mean, I suppose my face isn't that terrible, but I'm too small and slim to really be pretty, and my hair and beard aren't anywhere near Dori's or Nori's braids, for example."

"You're young yet with plenty of time to grow, for your hair and body both. And even if you never changed a bit, you'd still be beautiful to me." Fíli chuckled. "Besides, you can't really speak of beards to me. It's starting to grow nicely now, but I know mine is still quite pitiful." He was just not going to bring up the fact that he had been keeping it short on purpose for the sake of his uncle and brother both. He hadn't been actually shaving it, of course, just keeping it cropped very short, but now that Kíli had given up his pretence and Thorin was out of his mourning he could let his beard grow, too.

"Not pitiful at all. It's not that long yet, sure, but at least it's nice and thick." Ori's hand found its way into Fíli's beard, caressing the short strands, and Fíli had to suppress a shiver at the feeling. "I like it."

"I don't think you're a very unbiased person to be talking about me, though." Fíli cupped the back of Ori's head, leaning closer to capture him in a deep kiss once again. This got him a rather enthusiastic response, Ori pressing up against his chest.

"That's not true," Ori murmured as they parted again. "There are things about you that I don't like."

"Oh? And what are those things?" Not that he was sure he particularly wanted to hear, certainly not in this situation. But really, he had to know, now that Ori had mentioned that.

"Nothing I wish to discuss on our wedding night." Something flickered in Ori's eyes, some ghost of the fear Fíli had seen there in the depths of his madness, and guilt settled like a heavy weight in his stomach. "No, don't you look at me like that! It's nothing bad, I promise. I just don't want to focus on the bad things now that you're finally mine."

That did relieve his guilt a little bit, though he doubted it would ever be entirely gone. That was good, he knew that, it was good that he could not forget his madness, the depths to which he had sunk. It was an excellent deterrent should he ever start down that path again. "What would you like to focus on, then?"

"At the moment?" Ori lifted his eyebrows, his lips tugging into a little smile. "I would rather like to see you naked, your Highness."

There was some brief fumbling about before they decided it would be much more efficient if they each undressed themselves rather than try to work around each other. It wasn't the first time they'd undressed in each other's presence, certainly not even the first time they'd done so with a mind to share a bed, yet somehow this time Fíli didn't feel a rush of excitement or a tingle of nerves as much as just a feeling of something being just right. He set his circlet on the dresser next to Ori's, and somehow that gave him such a feeling of home that it threatened to overwhelm him. Yes, this was home at last, not his rooms but theirs, Ori was here as his husband and his consort and nobody could ever part them.

Fíli tried not to stare at Ori while he worked on his own clothes, not wanting to make Ori uncomfortable by being too obvious about it, but it was hard not to pay attention. He'd seen this before, of course, both the undressing and the bare body underneath, but like everything about tonight it was all filtered through the veil of 'mine, my husband, finally all mine.' There was so much he wanted to see again for all that it was familiar, wanted to run his hands along skin that he already knew and discover all the spots he had missed before that might make Ori squeak or gasp, wanted to spend ages just looking at his beautiful little husband and nothing else.

Well, perhaps something else. He was only mortal, after all, not some head in the clouds elf who contented himself with songs and ballads about a love never reached and never to be found.

He should have been more careful with his own clothes, really, they were some of his nicest after all and he should have cared for them, but right now he had no mind for such. It was a lucky thing that they all ended up in more or less the same pile and he at least had the presence of mind to take his boots off before he went for his trousers. By the time he was stripping off his underthings he'd managed to focus on his own clothes, trying not to sneak peeks to figure out if Ori was looking at him or not.

He rather hoped that Ori was looking.

Fíli wasn't sure if he'd been slower or if he just had more layers to work on than Ori did, but he ended up naked last. By the time he shed the last piece of clothing Ori was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking a little flushed again. Fíli took the moment to look at him, really look at him, running his eyes over Ori's body. It wasn't that of a warrior, no big muscles and broad frame, but Ori was still a very appealing dwarf, and had enough muscle and width not to look like some awfully short man. He did have the promise of broad shoulders to his build, something that might one day grow into Dori's sturdy form, and Fíli knew well enough the strength of that body for all that it might have seemed deceptively lithe. And, well, this was his beloved scribe after all, not some grand warrior who tried to intimidate everyone with their mere appearance. This was Ori, and he loved Ori, loved everything about him from the wispy beard to the lean legs and everything in between and around.

"Mahal, you're gorgeous." Fíli sank to his knees in front of Ori, only taking a second to be thankful for the rug that covered the cold stone floor next to the bed. "Oh, I wish I could kiss every last bit of you."

"Every bit? I do suspect one or both of us would grow tired of it before you were done." Ori shook his head, running his hand along the side of Fíli's face before letting it slide down to his chest. "If anything, I would get impatient, not getting my hands on you." Ori's hand combed through Fíli's chest hair, then paused at one of his nipples. Fíli felt a tug at the ring nestled there, and shivered. "I've been waiting a while to get my hands on these, for example."

"I know you have." Ori had been curious ever since Fíli had mentioned his plans to get the piercings, doubly so after he had actually gone through with it. Even dwarven bodies could only heal so fast, though, and neither of them wanted to invite injury, however minor, by meddling with his new decorations before they were properly healed.

If Fíli had timed it so that he'd be all healed up in time for the wedding, well, that was his business, now wasn't it?

Ori's hands slid to grip Fíli's arms, now, tugging him up to stand again. As he did so, though, Ori kept pulling at him still, leaning back until they both fell onto the bed, Fíli just barely managing to fall down next to Ori instead of on top of him. "This is much better," Ori said, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Not that I have anything against you being taller than me, of course, but it's nice to have you within easy reach."

"Just admit you like to have me at your mercy." Fíli grinned. "Not that I protest at being such, of course."

"That's good to hear." Ori seemed to have remembered that he was, in fact, the stronger one out of the two of them, sliding an arm under Fíli and tugging him properly onto the bed until neither of their feet were dangling off the edge anymore. The bed was big, enough so that they could comfortably lie across it without fearing a fall. Ori draped himself over Fíli, head resting on one of his shoulders, leaving the other side of Fíli's chest free so he could easily toy with the piercing there. That this position also brought their hips quite close together was obviously only an incidental benefit.

"It's not exactly easy for me to do much like this, you know." There was something, though, as he ran a hand along Ori's back and down to his arse. He bit back a curse when Ori tugged at the ring he was toying with, just hard enough to send a pleasant shock flying through Fíli.

"Yes, well, you weren't really doing anything even before this, now were you?" Ori's voice was amused, warm breath caressing Fíli's skin as he spoke. Then he squeaked in surprise as Fíli squeezed his arse with one hand. "Hey, no fair!"

"And what exactly is unfair about that?" Fíli chuckled. "You're hardly any better with that hand of yours." And, just because he could, he pressed a kiss to Ori's hair. "You know, for once we don't have to worry about me getting up early enough in the morning to get out at a decent hour. We could just take our time, maybe take a nap first of all." As though he had the patience for that, not with Ori here, so warm and willing in his arms.

"Mmm, I suppose we could." Except Ori was clearly feeling quite unfair, judging by the way his thigh was suddenly pressed against Fíli's cock just so. "Or we could actually do something nice and then nap afterwards."

"You know, I believe I could be persuaded to see the benefits of that particular suggestion." Fíli blew out a breath. "Also, you are a very cruel dwarf, Ori son of Vuori."

"Cruel? And here I thought I was being perfectly nice." Ori flung a leg across Fíli's hips, then pushed himself up, ending up straddling Fíli's hips with his hands on Fíli's chest. Which was fine, Fíli was very much fine with this, especially since it made it rather easy for him to settle his hands on Ori's hips. "Don't you think I'm being nice?"

"Oh, very nice indeed." This time he was even less abashed about his survey of his beloved, gaze lingering on the more interesting parts of his anatomy. It really was quite impossible for him not to look at Ori's cock, given that it was directly in front of him, half hard between Ori's thighs. It was beautiful, too, and wasn't that a strange thought. Fíli had long since come to the conclusion that private parts ranged from the ugly to the ridiculous and not much else, function clearly prioritised over form when such things had first been forged. Yet somehow Ori managed to be beautiful in this aspect as well, the cock nestled upon coppery curls nicely proportioned and just the perfect size for Fíli to wrap his hand around, as he well knew from previous experience. He was rather tempted to do just that now, to draw Ori to full hardness with his hands, but for now, he was just going to savour the moment.

"So." Ori shifted a little, his arse so very close to brushing back against Fíli's cock, and oh, that had to be deliberate. "Did you have any particular plans for the night?"

"Well, you already vetoed my plan to kiss you all over." Fíli gave Ori another glance, unable to resist the urge to lick his lips, then grin as this brought a flush to Ori's cheeks. "You're even prettier when you blush, you know."

"Oh, shut up." Ori tugged at one of Fíli's moustache braids, not quite hard enough to hurt. "Don't make that kind of faces unless you're ready to follow up on what you're implying."

"Oh, I'd quite happily devour you if that's what you desire." He would, too. He wasn't very experienced in that regard, but the couple of times he'd attended to Ori with his mouth had been quite pleasant, not the least due to Ori's response to it. Not that he had much experience in any of the activities they might find their pleasure in, of course, but he was quite eager to change that fact.

"Hm, that's a tempting offer." Ori's hands slid along Fíli's chest, teasing his nipples once they reached that far, toying with the piercings. "Or I could finally have you properly inside me, if you're amenable."

Fíli swallowed, trying not to make it too obvious just how tempting an offer that was. "Are you sure?" They hadn't gone that far yet, not properly, though they had fooled about enough to know they both rather enjoyed a finger or two up their arse. To follow through on that had seemed like too big of a step, too much of a breaking of the rules they were already rather blithely ignoring.

Except now they were married, and there were no more rules to restrict them.

"I'm sure." Ori nodded. "I want you, Fíli. I want you to claim me, all of me."

"I'd be quite happy to do so." He ran his hands along Ori's thighs. "Or to have you do that to me, for that matter." And yes, that was most definitely a pleasant thought as well, the idea of Ori between his legs and inside him as he was brought to pleasure.

"I know that." Another nod. "And believe me, I want to try that, too. But tonight, I want to feel you in me, if you'd agree."

"Now, how could I ever say no to that?" Fíli smirked, the only warning Ori was going to get before Fíli grasped his waist and tumbled them both over, reversing their positions. Ori didn't seem to mind, though, as evident by the fact that he let Fíli toss him around like that. For all that Fíli was by far the more skilled warrior, seeing how he had actually been trained as one beyond a few private sessions more concerned with self-defence and escape than winning as such, when it came to such simple manoeuvres they both knew the Ri strength far overcame whatever advantage Fíli's greater mass might have given him. Ori made no sign of trying to shove him off or get away, though, grinning up at him what almost seemed a challenge.

"So do you know what to do, or should I repeat the lecture Nori gave me the other day?"

Fíli couldn't help but bark out a laugh at that. "Don't worry, I've received some rather detailed instructions myself." Courtesy of Bilbo, once again, which was probably for the better. He couldn't really imagine Thorin getting through that particular conversation without one or both of them wanting to die of embarrassment. Not that it had been much easier for him with Bilbo, really, but at least Bilbo himself had managed to stay more or less calm the whole time. "Not that this is entirely foreign territory, of course."

"Of course." Ori's lips twitched. "You do have some oil at hand, don't you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Had acquired it a while ago, now, just in case the need arose. He now stole a kiss from Ori before crawling to the head of the bed, where he had the jar hidden between the pillows and the headboard. As he glanced back, Ori was watching him with raised eyebrows.¨"What? I like to keep it at hand."

"Oh, I'm sure you do." Ori's expression rather suggested that there would be some teasing about this later, but for now, he merely stretched himself along the bed. "So, I have to ask. Do you still have weapons stashed away somewhere? Because Nori kept teasing me about how I would have to look out for knives even with you entirely naked."

"Well, considering he was the one to comb out the braids in my hair and I have nowhere else to hide anything, if I have anything left, it's his fault." Fíli made his way back to Ori, settling between his legs. “Far as I know, though, I'm quite unarmed at the moment."

"That would be a first." Ori drew his knees up, spreading his legs to give Fíli more room between them. "I'm rather sure you don't even bathe unarmed."

"Dwalin would say something about how a warrior is never unarmed as long as he has his arms, but then, Dwalin has a strange taste in jokes." Fíli ran a hand along Ori's leg before opening the jar, dipping a couple of fingers in the slick oil inside.

"I feel the need to point out you are the one who came up with that just now." For which his punishment was apparently Ori tugging at one of his nipple rings again. Which was fair, Fíli supposed, given that he was just about to get his own fingers busy.

This, at least, was familiar, the slow easing of Ori's body as he slowly worked his fingers in, carefully watching Ori's reactions as he did so. He took the opportunity for the occasional kiss, his other hand caressing Ori's body, his legs and thighs and chest. His hand finally took the opportunity to pause over a spot on Ori's arm, fingers caressing the tattoo there.

He had been surprised when he had first seen the mark on Ori's skin, not having thought him the type to seek out what Fíli knew to be a painful experience. On closer consideration, though, it only made sense. He never saw Ori without ink on his skin, after all, so why would he not have had any underneath it as well?

It was a simple design compared with some he had seen on warriors, just two runes underneath an arc of seven stars, yet it was all the bolder a claim for that. "RI", Ori's skin declared right underneath the stars of Durin's crown, unafraid and unashamed, without excuses or explanations. It was much like his little scribe, Fíli mused, plain and unimportant at a glance yet with a steel core in his depths.

"You never told me when and why you got this, you know." All Fíli knew was that Ori had already had the mark when they'd started their journey, and it hadn't looked fresh then.

Ori gave a breathless chuckle. "I can't believe you're asking me that with your fingers inside me."

"Perhaps I'm just trying to distract you." To that end, he leaned down to press a few kisses across Ori's lean chest. "Humour me?"

"It's — I had just come sixty." Fíli's surprise must have shown on his face, since Ori chuckled again. "No, it was not some misguided rebellion against Dori. It was… well. I was just finishing up my apprenticeship, and," here he paused for a gasp as Fíli brushed against a particularly sensitive spot, but soldiered on, "some of the nobles didn't think… didn't think I should continue with Balin."

"You mean, didn't think Balin should continue as your master." He remembered hearing something of that, though he had been only tangentially aware of it at the time.

"Right." Ori gave a short nod. "It — it was a strange argument anyway, I hadn't been an actual apprentice for a while anyway, it just took us a while to save up my examination fee. To get properly recognised as a journeyman."

Fíli nodded, running his free hand up and down Ori's arm while the other continued stretching and teasing his beloved. It still struck him as odd sometimes, hearing Ori speak of such things. His own family had not exactly been rich in exile, royals or not, his mother and uncle working hard to keep them clothed and fed while also running the kingdom, such as it had been. However, there had never been any question of his education, or how they were to pay for the particulars. He and Kíli had both taken apprenticeships in whatever craft interested them the most, and done their examinations when they were ready for it, not when they could afford it. Clearly they had been more fortunate than they had even realised.

That hardly mattered now, though. Now, Ori could have anything he wished for, could claim any riches he happened to desire. And it wasn't even something Fíli was gifting him with, no, he'd earned it all with his own courage and strength.

"So, I figured I'd take a mark they would approve of even less." Ori chuckled again, even more breathless now. "I convinced Dori to let me take it to celebrate my becoming a journeyman. Checked with Balin, too, just to make sure I had the right."

"And neither of them had a problem, I take it." Not with the mark decorating Ori's skin, a proud declaration if he'd ever seen one. "You going to take another, now? For your father's line, now that you know it?" The line that Ori knew and claimed, and Fíli now wore in his beads, would always wear for the rest of his days now that their lines had become one.

"Maybe." Ori moved towards his fingers, now, and that was good, that was a definite sign he was getting nice and relaxed. His cock certainly indicated his pleasure, hard and eager, much like Fíli's own was right now. "And you? Ever thought of getting one?"

"Often." Fíli waited another moment before carefully withdrawing his fingers, leaning down for a proper kiss as Ori gave a small whine at being left empty. "I mean, I'm in my full majority. Most warriors my age have one or two at the very least." There were those like Dwalin, who seemed to treat their skin much like Ori did a sheet of blank paper, eager to cover every last piece of it with words and pictures. At the other end of the scale was Thorin, with only a couple of detailed, intricate pieces, beautiful as any jewel for all that Thorin grumbled about how no ink would properly stand out against his skin.

"And have you thought of what you might have?" Ori turned his head to follow Fíli's hands as he reached again for the jar of oil. "Or where, for that matter?"

"I can't decide, which is rather the problem. I'd rather not have a permanent mark when I can't yet decide what kind of a mark I'd like to bear for good." He grinned as he dipped his fingers in the oil again. "I'd say I should take your name, but I think that would be a bit too sappy even for me."

"I think it would, yes." And yet there was a very pretty blush on Ori's face as he stretched himself a bit, eyes still following Fíli's hand. "How do you want me?"

"This is good." He stoppered the jar and set it aside again, one hand caressing the inside of Ori's thigh while the other slicked up his own cock. "I rather think I want to kiss you while we make love."

"You are such a sap, you know." And yet there was something incredibly soft in Ori's expression as he sank his hands in Fíli's hair.

"I suppose I can't deny that." He stole another kiss as he settled himself between Ori's legs. "That's just what you do to me."

He had felt pleasure before, of course, both in his little explorations with Ori and with his own hands. This was unlike even the most eager hand or mouth, though, this tight, warm heat that enveloped him completely as he slowly slid inside. Ori made a whining sound that worried him for a moment, but as he looked up at Ori's face it was filled with pleasure, not pain.

"Is… is that good?" Because right now he was afraid to move before he was certain of that.

"So good…" Ori's eyes were half closed now, his lips parted in a sighing smile. "It's good, I promise, just don't stop, please…"

Well, stopping was not exactly the first thing on Fíli's mind right now, so at least their wants were in line with each other there. He took the opportunity to do as he'd promised and kissed Ori deeply, one hand caressing soft skin as they found their rhythm together while his other hand braced him on the bed. Ori's hands found Fíli's chest, teasing him to distraction. Not that he was likely to get distracted, not with how hard it was for him to focus on anything but the feeling of Ori's body enveloping him to the hilt. Everything else was secondary to that, all coherent thought fleeing him as he felt Ori welcoming him deeper.

Ori's face was flushed, his skin feeling heated under Fíli's hands. Fíli slid his hand lower, finding the enticing length of Ori's cock, full and warm as he wrapped his fingers around it. Ori moaned loudly in response, head bending back against the pillow and eyes closing tight. Fíli drank in the sight as his hips moved in an increasingly frantic rhythm, his hand trying to mimic it as all he could focus on was Ori, always Ori.

Then Ori was coming, all of a sudden, swearwords that would have made many an old warrior blush spilling from his lips mixed with repetitions of Fíli's name. His hands tightened in Fíli's hair, his body constricting around Fíli's cock, and that was it. That was too much, that was far more than Fíli could possibly take, and he only managed a couple of erratic thrusts before spending himself as well, burying his seed deep inside Ori as he cried out loudly enough he might have worried about it reaching even through the thick stone walls if he'd been capable of such rational thought.

It took him a moment to recover, leaning his elbows on the bed either side of Ori and trying not to collapse right on top of his lover. Finally he managed a shaky kiss to Ori's chest, taking gulps of air until he managed to speak. "Right. I vote we do that again. More than once. As soon as we've recovered."

Ori didn't respond.

"Ori?" Fíli chuckled breathlessly as he lifted his head to look at his husband, then frowned as he still got no response. "Ori? What's wrong?"

There was no answer, Ori lying limp underneath him, head turned to one side. Now, Fíli really got worried. He withdrew with a small hiss at the sensation on his oversensitive flesh, then reached up a hand to touch the side of Ori's face.

"Ori? Wake up. You're scaring me, love."

There was another moment of terrifying silence during which he could only hear their mingled breaths and the frantic beating of his own heart. Then, slowly, Ori opened his eyes, and Fíli breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Mmm… what?"

"Don't do that to me." Fíli climbed over one of Ori's legs to collapse on the bed next to him, eyes intent on his beloved. "You just… you weren't replying to me or anything. I thought something happened to you!" And wouldn't that have been a scandal, his new consort collapsing in their wedding bed. Not that Fíli would have had much of a mind to worry about such things if Ori had actually been hurt.

"Oh, Mahal." Ori groaned, flopping an arm over his eyes. "Not again."

"Again?" Fíli frowned. "This has happened before?"

"Aye, but not in a while. I thought I'd got over it, that's why I didn't mention it to you." Ori sighed. "It's… kind of embarrassing."

"What is?" Fíli ran a hand over Ori's chest, hoping to soothe him after whatever had happened. Though really, Fíli himself could have used some soothing after that scare.

"I fainted." Ori didn't uncover his eyes, yet he managed to aim a weak nudge at Fíli's stomach. "And don't you dare laugh! It's, well. It happened sometimes when I was younger and was still just discovering my pleasures."

"But… it's not dangerous?" Surely Ori would have said so if that had been the case.

"No, it's not." Ori finally let the arm fall on the bed next to his head, turning to look at Fíli with a faint smile. "I even talked with a healer about it. Not by choice, mind, but this one time I managed to fall off my bed and hit my head and Nori found me. Most mortifying experience of my life, let me tell you, but at least he promised not to tell Dori if I saw a healer about it. The healer said it's nothing to worry about, that it just happens to some dwarves sometimes when they spend themselves."

"That's a relief." Because that short moment had been absolutely terrifying. "So… does that mean it was really good or really bad?"

Ori laughed, a breathless, tired sound that was more beautiful than any amount of ringing bells and sweet songs. "Very good, I promise you, my prince." He rolled over to his side, facing Fíli and nuzzling closer to him. "I hope you liked it too, because I definitely want to do that again."

And really, nobody could possibly blame Fíli if he decided they'd talked enough for the moment, drawing Ori into a slow, deep kiss instead, reaching his arms around his husband. They needed to get cleaned up, he suspected, and perhaps gather up some covers if they intended to sleep before the next round, but for now, he chose to focus on nothing but Ori.

It was the only thing that mattered, anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On their wedding night, Bilbo and Thorin have something very important to do.
> 
> Fortunately, it is something they are very happy to be doing together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit more focused on the plot than the smut; basically, it's Thorin's PoV of the same scene in the main fic, only this time without a fade to black for the sex.

There had been a time when Thorin could not have imagined ever being in a hurry to take off his crown.

Now, after a long day of festivities, he was quite glad to free his head of its decoration as soon as they walked into his rooms, the grand cape following in short order. From the corner of his eye he saw Bilbo doing the same with his own crown, Bilbo his crowned consort, and oh, he was never going to be tired of thinking that.

"Are all dwarven weddings so exhausting?" Bilbo sighed, starting to take off the topmost layers of his wedding outfit. It had been specially tailored for the occasion, several layers of fine velvets that sought to combine both dwarven and hobbit designs. "I thought I knew what I was getting into, after all the hobbit parties I've attended, but I've never been quite so worn out even after the most boisterous of celebrations!"

"I'd imagine it's different when you're the one being celebrated." Thorin chuckled at his husband's exasperation, taking off his rings next, knowing from experience they might try to catch on the fabric of his clothes if he left them on while undressing. "And the structure of dwarven wedding is more or less the same, though I dare say it's been a while since I've seen one so grand, and won't be seeing another at least until Fíli's. Some will be continuing with the festivities well into the night, I presume."

Bilbo shook his head, though he did not look entirely disapproving. "I'm just hoping nobody gets any funny ideas with enough drink in their stomach. I'd rather hate to start tomorrow by soothing over diplomatic incidents because someone decided to stab an elf or something equally ridiculous."

Thorin snorted. It did not surprise him in the slightest that Bilbo would imagine such horrid happenings, his hobbit did sometimes worry needlessly. Not that Thorin himself was any better in that regard, but then, that was why he had made preparations beforehand. "Unlikely. Dwalin has a hard head that's not easily clouded; I'm sure he'll keep enough guards around to make sure nothing terrible happens."

Bilbo lifted his eyebrows, looking dubious. "And if Dwalin does decide he would like to celebrate his best friend's wedding day?"

Thorin shook his head, lips twitching. "I may have also told Nori that if the night goes without incident, I will give Dwalin a week off from his duties once the mountain is back to normal. Whether he keeps Dwalin away from trouble or keeps the peace himself, I do not know, but either way he will find some benefit from it." And wasn't that strange, that he was entrusting the peace and safety of his wedding feast to someone who had at one time been one of the worst thieves Dwalin ever chased.

"Now that I find somewhat impressive thinking." Bilbo smiled at him, and really, Thorin knew the teasing barb was about to come before Bilbo said anything. "Who thought of that, then?"

Thorin chuckled at that. Oh, he did love his hobbit, for all his sharp tongue and even sharper wit. "Believe it or not, I am not altogether hopeless at being a king. I did manage to keep my people from falling apart before you arrived into my life, and not just by getting Dís and Balin to do everything for me, either."

"Oh, I am aware. You are quite the impressive king, you are." And clearly Thorin needed to draw him close and let him know just how impressive he could be, his arms circling Bilbo and bringing his small body close to Thorin's own.

"Your king, as it happens." Thorin smiled down at his beautiful husband, his small and brave and eternally impressive hobbit. "So. I believe it is customary for hobbits to do their planting on the wedding night?" And wasn't that an exciting thought, something he had never dared to even hope for, the idea that he might actually have some hope of a child. For most of his life he had never had anyone to share such hopes with, and when he had lost his heart to Bilbo he had thought it forever closed off to him, but then hobbits truly were miraculous creatures.

"Ah. That is true, yes." There was a slight flush on Bilbo's cheeks, and oh, wasn't that just adorable. "You're quite sure about it, then?"

"Of course." Thorin leaned in to steal a small kiss. "The only thing that could make me even happier than being finally married to you would be raising a child with you, if you think we might be granted that mercy." He still didn't dare hope too much, not yet, not when he knew he was quite unlike any lover Bilbo might have found back in his green and comfortable Shire. Why, he didn't even know the first thing about gardening.

"Well, we won't know that unless we try, now will we?" Bilbo's hand came to rest on Thorin's chest for a moment, those small, clever fingers tracing small patterns against him. "I have to say, I'm very happy that we figured things out before now. If we had reached this point without being clear on our feelings, I would have felt quite guilty for enjoying my marriage to you while you supposedly only agreed to it out of necessity."

"Imagine how my guilt would have been, then, thinking you only agreed to it to help me in my troubles." Thorin let Bilbo go, though only briefly, grasping Bilbo's hand on his chest and bringing it up to his lips. Keeping his eyes locked on Bilbo's, he pressed kisses along the line of Bilbo's knuckles. Even they seemed soft and gentle, for all that he knew Bilbo worked hard with his hands in his garden, unmarked as they were with the nicks and scars that littered Thorin's own hands all over. "I have to admit I tried my best to discourage your decision, fearing you might change your mind later."

"Oh, yes, I noticed that." Bilbo's lips twitched in apparent amusement. "You know, I asked around, and from what I hear consummation is traditional but by no means mandatory. Why, I even heard of dwarves who may wish for love but never bed. Balin was rather scandalised that I would have gotten such an idea from somewhere, so I presume you'll be happy to hear I never told him where I heard such a lie."

Thorin made a face. Indeed, he had been less than honourable, telling Bilbo such lies to try to scare him off. "Please know I would never demand anything of you that you do not want as well. Before or after your agreement, before or after we each confessed our love, nothing could change that." He had hurt his hobbit enough as it was. He hoped he could resist his madness and weakness enough to keep his word on this at least.

"Oh, I am very much aware of that. And it goes the other way around, too, you know." Bilbo's eyes were oddly serious as they locked on Thorin's own. "It's why I've been asking you every step of the way in this whole process. I don't want you doing something just because you think it might make me happy."

"Why, but there are quite a lot of things I would do just to make you happy." Thorin managed a smile now, shifting the way he held onto Bilbo's hand to tug him forward, just a little. "Shall we, then? As I recall, we should head to the garden for this." And there his knowledge on the matter ended, save for the few things Bilbo had told him, hardly enough for him to have a detailed idea of what to expect of the evening.

They were both silent as they walked toward the garden, Thorin still holding onto Bilbo's hand. He tried not to seem too eager, though that was probably a lost cause altogether. But then, who could blame him? He was finally wed to his true love, it would have been strange for him not to be eager.

The soft glow of the crystals bathed Bilbo's little garden in a friendly light as they walked in, the silence of the room emphasised by the way Thorin's sense of the stone was dulled by the layers of dirt as they walked up the steps to the ground level. It wasn't unpleasant, though, for all that it was unfamiliar. Rather, it felt like something right, something expected. This was Bilbo's realm, after all, the place where his little hobbit could truly be himself; it was only right for Bilbo to be shielded from the cold stone, to have rich ground in which to build life the way Thorin never could.

Except now, perhaps, he would be allowed to have a part in Bilbo's work.

They turned to face each other as they reached the bare patch in the middle of the room, and Thorin found his own smile reflected on Bilbo's face. Clearly he was not the only one looking forward to this in at least some manner.

"So, do you have a seed ready?" Thorin reached out to Bilbo, yearning to touch his beloved hobbit, running a hand along the side of his face, down his shoulder, along his arm. Even through his clothes Bilbo felt warm under his hand, and oh, Thorin wished to feel him more directly. But not just yet, no. There were other things to see to, first. "I believe we agreed that to be best left to you." Given that Thorin himself had no idea about such things.

"I do." Bilbo drew a deep breath before reaching for something in his pocket. As Thorin watched, he slowly drew out something small and brown.

"Your acorn?" It had to be, there was no way Thorin could have mistaken that familiar sight. "I thought you wanted to plant that to grow an oak tree."

 

"Actually, I wanted to take it back to the Shire and plant it there, as you might remember." Bilbo looked up at Thorin, managing a small smile. "I wanted to look at it and remember everything that happened, everything I'd seen and done. But now I am here, and I need no reminders, not when I have you all here with me." He reached for Thorin's hand, closing the acorn between their clasped hands. "We hobbits tend to grow our roots deep into the ground, and are not easily shifted once we do so. I can think of no firmer root I could grow than this, and no sapling I would rather tend than that born of you and me both."

For a moment Thorin looked at him, his expression unreadable. Then he leaned down and drew Bilbo into a deep, hungry kiss, rather more passionate than anything they had shared before. It continued until he was out of breath, when at last Thorin drew back, looking at him with heavy eyes.

"I suppose that was good practice." Bilbo offered Thorin a small smile. "Shall we, then?" He squeezed Thorin's hand once before he drew his hand and the acorn away, holding it up for Thorin to see. He couldn't quite resist the urge to smirk with some mischief as he placed it in his mouth, rolling it on his tongue to make sure it got nice and wet.

As Thorin drew him into another kiss it was less hurried, slow and warm and all the beautiful things. Bilbo almost forgot what they were supposed to be doing, though only almost. With a happy little sigh, he pushed the acorn past Thorin's parted lips, letting his tongue brush against Thorin's own for a moment before retreating.

Thorin couldn't help the hint of a smirk as he finally forced himself to break the kiss, sticking out his tongue so Bilbo could take the acorn from him. He almost felt like a dwarfling playing a jest, for all that he knew this to be a rather serious matter indeed. "So. Now we plant it, as I recall?"

"Indeed." Bilbo paused for a moment before stepping away, though, not that Thorin was going to hurry to push them apart either. Bilbo then walked over to the bare patch of ground he had left untouched in the middle of his garden. "Come help me, will you? I need a small hole to put it in."

If there was one thing a dwarf could do, it was dig, even as he was lacking in tools and other such things. He knelt down at Bilbo's request without hesitation, sinking his fingers deep into the dirt to dig a hole in the exact centre of the bare patch. Bilbo came close then as well, placing the acorn in the hole before covering it with dirt, as careful in his movements as any parent might have been with their babe.

"We'll have to water it in the morning, but for now, this will do." Bilbo looked up at Thorin, and there was a hint of something almost like bashfulness in his eyes. Though then, Thorin knew exactly what was to come next. "Are you ready, then?"

"Quite so." Thorin smiled, hoping to ease whatever nerves Bilbo might have been battling, or at least to mask the tension within him. Not because he didn't want this, or feared this, but rather because he had been waiting for this so long, he was like a harp too tightly strung, about to snap at the slightest provocation. Instead of thinking too closely on that yet, he reached for the hem of his tunic, drawing it over his head.

It was hardly the first time he had been unclothed in front of Bilbo, yet all their times in the baths were hardly comparable to this. This was their wedding night, their first time together as a married couple, and for all that he had no shame in his body he couldn't help but wonder what Bilbo might think of him. After all, he was hardly what a hobbit might have wanted, being all sharp edges and firm planes instead of the soft curves of hobbits, his skin rough with scars and callouses and hairy in all the wrong places.

Bilbo didn't seem to mind, judging by the way he pressed himself up against Thorin's chest once they were both naked, fingers carding through the hair on Thorin's chest as he tilted his head up for a kiss. And really, Thorin would have been a much worse husband than he hoped to be if he had even dreamed of denying Bilbo that kiss.

It had been a while since he had been quite so close to anyone, certainly not in such circumstances. There had been a time or two that Bilbo had dozed off very nearly leaning against him on the couch, or some similar moment of closeness, and they had shared quite a few kisses and embraces since they had managed to confess their mutual feelings. However, there was a different kind of heat in these touches, that of anticipation and building desire for something he had been denying himself for a while. Except now there was no reason to hesitate anymore, no reason he couldn't have exactly what he wanted, and it rather seemed Bilbo was of a similar mind, judging by his lingering but confident touches.

Thorin did not truly know how much experience Bilbo did or didn't have, had never thought to ask, wasn't even sure he wished to know. All that was in the past, after all, as were the few awkward fumbles he had managed to get through in his youth, before the responsibilities of his position had started to weigh him down too much for him to allow himself such frivolities. It didn't matter who had or hadn't touched Bilbo before, for all that he had heard many a teasing word alluding to the rather freer attitudes of hobbits in these things. He was Thorin's husband now, his one and only true treasure, and nobody else could hope to lay claim on him ever again, not as long as Thorin lived.

"Mine," he murmured into another heated kiss, running his hands along every inch of Bilbo's skin he could find, and took great pleasure in the way Bilbo seemed to shiver under his touch.

It might have been a while, but he was not utterly lost in what to do, caressing Bilbo's chest and legs as they continued exchanging increasingly sloppy kisses, resisting the urge to touch Bilbo quite too intimately just yet lest their fun be over right away. Thorin himself certainly knew he would not last long once either of them took to actually attending his cock, which was growing painfully hard just from the anticipation and the caresses they were exchanging. Bilbo seemed especially fascinated by the tattoos marking Thorin's skin here and there, running his fingertips along each dark line until Thorin shivered under the far too light touches, studying them with the focus of a scholar reading an interesting manuscript for all that his lessons in Khuzdul probably hadn't advanced far enough for him to make out the meaning of most of the marks inked into Thorin's skin. Thorin took his time in studying Bilbo's body in turn, running his hands and lips over soft hobbit skin, teasing the pert little nipples with his tongue until Bilbo moaned and sighed, nuzzling his nose against the little bit of hair that sprouted from Bilbo's soft chest. Even that was curly, he noted with some amusement, curly and soft and golden against Bilbo's light skin as much as Thorin's own rather thicker mat of hair was coarse and dark over his own darker chest.

Then Bilbo nudged him to kneel down before his hand slid lower along Thorin's chest, curling around Thorin's cock, and all semblance of sensible thought fled his head, replaced by wordless moans of heat and desire and Bilbo. Bilbo's hands were gentle but confident, very quickly learning to follow Thorin's reactions to drive him to utter distraction, until it was all Thorin could do not to lose himself completely at the slightest touch.

Perhaps it was because he had waited for this for so long, perhaps it was some strange hobbit magic, but Thorin was almost embarrassingly quick to finish. Bilbo's hands were like fire on his skin, making his desire burn up until he could not hold back anymore, spilling his release all over Bilbo's hand and his own stomach. It was a good thing he had already been kneeling, because he did not think he would have stayed standing in the wake of that.

"Well." Bilbo's voice was a mixture of amusement and pleasure, and Thorin was too spent to even draw any actual offence at that. "I suppose that proves you do not find me displeasing."

A growl escaped Thorin's throat as he gathered his wits, setting his hands on Bilbo's shoulders. He turned them both over, pushing gently at Bilbo's shoulders to get him to lie down, right over the patch of dirt that hid their precious little seed.

Thorin suppressed a groan at the easy way Bilbo lay down on the dirt, looking up at him with nothing but lust and love in his eyes. He trusted Thorin so completely, was opening himself up to his touches without hesitation, and Thorin still wasn't entirely sure he deserved such trust. Even so, he was going to prove himself worthy of it one day, in this matter as much as everything else.

His mouth drew a line from the few golden curls in the middle of Bilbo's chest downward, found a patch of the same below his navel, taking great pleasure in pausing to nip and suck at the soft flesh of Bilbo's belly. It was beautiful, he decided, seeing his love so well fed and comfortable, rounded and soft as a proper hobbit should be.

Distantly, Thorin heard Bilbo huffing something about dwarves taking their bloody sweet time with everything, and really, there was absolutely no reason to take such a tone. Certainly not when he was about to move even lower.

He had been sneaking glances at Bilbo's cock earlier, but now he turned his full focus on it, being at eye level with it as he was. It was quite proportionate to the rest of Bilbo's body, smaller than Thorin's own but nice and thick, and as Thorin reached his lips around the head the moan that escaped Bilbo's lips was the sweetest music he had ever heard.

It seemed Thorin had not been the only one eager for this, as it didn't take too long for Bilbo to finish, Thorin's hand and mouth coaxing him to spend himself rather quickly. He moaned out a warning, but Thorin didn't even try to pull away, keeping his eyes locked on Bilbo's expression as his dear hobbit's eyes widened with surprise and then what Thorin hoped to be pleasure as he kept sucking, welcoming Bilbo's release into his mouth. The taste was not something he would have called pleasant otherwise, but it was the taste of Bilbo, and right now that was all he could bring himself to care about.

As he pulled back, the last drops of Bilbo's pleasure spilling from his lips, Bilbo's eyes were hooded with pleasure and desire in a most delicious way. Thorin couldn't help a small smirk that insisted on taking over his face. "I suppose this means you do not find me too displeasing, either."

Bilbo tried to swat him on the arm, but apparently misjudged their distance, as his hand passed harmlessly inches from Thorin's skin. Not that there had been any actual force behind the gesture to begin with, anyway, which was why Thorin dared to crawl closer and lean down for a kiss. He almost expected to be rejected, not that he could have truly blamed Bilbo for turning down a taste, but instead he found Bilbo's hand curling in the hair at the back of his head and pulling him closer. Of all the kisses they had shared that night, this one was probably the laziest yet, both of them languid and sated in the wake of their pleasure and with no intention of rushing things.

For a moment they both lay there, exchanging slow kisses, until Bilbo finally nudged Thorin out of the way to get to his knees. Thorin rolled over to his side instead, keeping his eyes on Bilbo as his pretty hobbit got up to his knees, murmuring some sort of a prayer with his head bowed toward the dirt beneath them. Thorin couldn't help but smile as he listened to the strange pleas, his eyes falling closed for a moment so he could focus on just the sound of Bilbo's voice, still riding high on the wave of his pleasure and the joy of seeing Bilbo find his.

Then Bilbo fell silent, and the next moment he felt a hand touching his shoulder, looked up to see Bilbo on his feet and reaching a hand down toward him. Thorin took the offered hand and got up to his feet, stealing another quick kiss before stepping away to gather some of their discarded garments. He almost expected Bilbo to sigh at the poor treatment of their clothes, but instead Bilbo kept smiling that small, peaceful smile of his that made Thorin's heart feel even warmer than ever.

"Well, then." Even Bilbo's voice was softer and slower than before, his eyes gentle as he glanced over to Thorin, a few pieces of clothing folded over his arm. "I do believe we both need a bath."

"Indeed." Thorin chuckled. "It just wouldn't do to go to bed with dirt on our skin, now would it?"

"Absolutely not." Bilbo's lips curled into something more like a smirk. "And then, that is not the only thing there is to clean up." His eyes strayed down toward Thorin's stomach, still stained with his own seed, and for all that Thorin was not exactly some young dwarfling anymore he could feel the heat starting to pool low in his belly again.

There was no rush this time, though, not again. They had done what they had set out to do, had shared their love and pleasure alike and dedicated it all to Lady Yavanna, and according to Bilbo that was all they needed to or indeed could do at the moment. The night was still young, of course, but neither of them was quite as young anymore, and really, they could take their time. Their time to draw a nice, hot bath, for example, gently washing away dirt and sweat from each other's skin, Thorin's hands carding through Bilbo's golden curls with as much fascination as he had once let golden coins spill between his fingers. Except this treasure was much greater than any pile of gold, much more precious, and it would only grow more precious with time.

By the time they left the bath the water had cooled down and Thorin's hair seemed nearly as curly as Bilbo's was, and he had slowly stroked them both to completion with Bilbo straddling his lap and both of their cocks closed in Thorin's hand, Thorin was feeling more tired than he could remember since the Quest. It was the good kind of tiredness, though, the sort that made him want to lie down under blankets and close his eyes in the warmth, rather than dying on his feet. It seemed Bilbo was rather of a similar mind, padding on silent feet alongside Thorin to the bedroom. His belongings had been delivered at some point during the day, which allowed him to simply draw out a nightshirt from a chest, fussing with combing out the curls on his head and feet while Thorin wove his own hair into a loose sleeping braid. It was such a sweet, domestic scene it almost made Thorin's chest ache with disbelief that this moment might belong to him, and as Bilbo crawled into bed beside him the feeling only intensified.

That was good, though. He could live with disbelief. Perhaps it would keep him from doing anything entirely ill-advised for fear of shattering this peace, as he could not imagine taking it for granted, not ever again.

He held Bilbo in his arms as they drifted off, his beautiful, brave golden little hobbit, and for the first time in his life Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain, found himself dreaming of rich deep earth and a bountiful harvest.


End file.
